Two Words, One Life
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: Durbe and Rio are going to get married. Time moves quickly when you're in love. Sequel to Engagement Ring. Co-written by darksawr.


Zexal Oneshot

Two Words, One Life

Romance/Humor

[Durbe/Rio], OC

Durbe and Rio are going to get married. Time moves quickly when you're in love. Sequel to Engagement Ring. Co-written by darksawr.

(Neither one of us owns Zexal. You're welcome to guess what we DO own though.)

* * *

Two Words, One Life

* * *

Sirius and Lyra looked at Haru as he fell asleep in his bed. The little boy was mostly hidden under the covers, his thumb hidden between his teeth. Three years old, and he had yet to break that habit.

Oh well. Some kids matured slower than others.

"He's so adorable when he's asleep," Lyra said, brushing the child's hair from his face.

"Don't let Antares hear that," Sirius remarked. "Epsilon, maybe, but not Antares."

Lyra chuckled, then laid her head against her arm and stared at the child's tiny face.

Sirius easily knew what she was thinking.

He often thought of the same thing, after all.

Just then, the door to the house opened up and Sirius could hear Epsilon call out, "We're back."

"Let's get going, Lyra," Sirius said. "We don't want Haru's parents to have a panic attack."

Lyra nodded, then followed after him as he left the room.

Once in the living room, it became child's play to recognize Antares and Epsilon, the latter of whom was removing her jacket from her shoulders.

"Judging by Antares' goofy grin," Sirius said, "your method of delivering the news played to perfection?"

Epsilon wanted to huff, but instead, she could only press her hands against her hips.

Lyra appeared from behind Sirius and beamed. "Congratulations, you two," she said.

"Thanks a million," Antares said, rubbing the back of his head.

"So how was Haru?" Epsilon asked, her motherly instincts preventing her from thinking of anything else at the moment. "Did he eat?"

"Asked for seconds," Sirius answered.

"Right now, he's in his room, sleeping like a baby," Lyra added.

"He's still three, so I think he qualifies as one," Antares laughed. "But thanks for watching him, guys. We owe you."

"It was our pleasure," Lyra assured him.

Sirius agreed. Then he grabbed his jacket as well as Lyra's own. "Well, we'd better get going," he said. "Thanks for asking for us."

"Thanks for babysittin'."

Lyra smiled as she pulled her jacket over her shoulders.

Then both she and Sirius started for the door. "Oh yeah," went Sirius, stopping before he left the house. "Antares, did you happen upon Durbe while you were there?"

"Yeah," Antares answered. "With Rio. Why?"

"No reason," Sirius responded. "I just thought that such a place was perfect."

"For asking Lyra when it's your turn to pop the question?"

Lyra blushed madly.

Sirius, however, only chuckled. "Actually, for Durbe. I'll see you later."

With that, both Sirius and Lyra left the house.

* * *

Occasionally, Sirius would find himself struggling to stay asleep at night. He, like many other Barians, had been scarred during the wars and would periodically find himself besieged by the horrid memories that refused to leave his heart and mind.

With a jerk of his head, Sirius turned to his side and clapped his hands over his ears.

Again, he could hear Heartland's screams as he died.

Again, he could hear the shouts of discord and lack of trust.

And again, he could see Lyra's pale face as she shouted at him with her entire heart.

"_Sirius!_"

The colors exploded all around him and Sirius found himself wide awake, sweating in his bed. Now fully awake, he pressed his hand against his face and sighed. "Again," he mumbled, the image of Lyra's face pouring into his mind. "Lyra..."

_"__Sirius, are you awake now?"_

Sirius broke one of his fingers away and looked to his nightstand.

His Baria Lapis was glowing and Aquarii was looking at him through the red crystal.

"Okaasan," Sirius mumbled, sitting up in his bed and taking his Baria Lapis into his fingers. "Yeah, I am. What's the problem?"

"_Normally, I would be asking you that, but this is important,_" Aquarii said, her voice reverberating through his room by way of his Lapis. _"I need you and the other Barians to come to Guardian Tower immediately."_

"At 5:30?"

_"__Like I said, it's very important."_

Sirius rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Before I obey that order, does this have anything to do with a certain former ex-Barian Emperor and his girlfriend?"

_"__I'm afraid I must refrain from answering that. Just get over here."_

With that, Aquarii hung up, leaving Sirius with some peace.

After thinking it over for a time, Sirius sighed heavily, placed his Baria Lapis on his nightstand, and got out of bed.

Might as well get it over with, he figured.

* * *

"You know, this place could really do with some improvements," Alit said as the Emperors followed the Guardians through the Tower. "Maybe a new color for the walls. I've heard that blue is becoming popular here."

"You've heard wrong," Sirius sighed, walking up the stairs.

"Yeah," Antares agreed. "Aquarii-san's only been talking about repainting the Guardian Tower. Nothing's set in stone yet." He looked to his friend. "Right, Sirius?"

"Amusing. Hold your tongue."

"Chill, dude. I'm in Barian form."

Lyra only giggled as the two continued to argue.

"Will these two ever grow up?" Misael asked.

"Not in that place, they won't," Lyra answered.

"Wish they would, though," Ryoga huffed. "It's embarrassing to be seen with them."

Vector nodded.

Sirius scoffed.

Then they all made it to the top of the stairs, Aquarii, Durbe, and Rio standing before them.

Then Alit nearly had a heart attack. Jumping back, he gripped his chest and nearly screamed like a girl.

Sirius, who had thought ahead far enough to cover his ears, sighed. "Alit, that's gotten so very old."

"I can't help it," Alit said, heart pounding behind his ribcage. "I forgot about the new Barian form."

Durbe looked at the black markings that snaked down his arms as well as the gloves that covered his hands. He was certain that the darker wisteria was enough to make people wonder if it was even him in the first place. At least the darker strands of hair returned to a lighter grey over time. To be honest, he wasn't all that fond of the form himself, which was why he had a tendency to not go to Barian World in the first place. "It's been five years, Alit," Sirius sighed. "Grow up or leave."

Alit thought about it. Then he turned to the stairs. "Where's the door?"

Sirius grumbled, then grabbed the man's red collar. "Don't even think about it."

"Thank you for coming," Aquarii said. "Would you all please take a seat?"

Sirius nodded, then watched as Lyra and Antares sat down in their assigned chairs. The Emperors did likewise, Vector doing so with a flicker in his eyes.

"So where's Sir Leonis?" Sirius asked, kicking back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest.

"He is currently unavailable," Aquarii informed him. "He sends his apologies."

"Looks like you're safe then, Durbe. He can't lecture you when he's not here."

"And I hope to be out before he shows his face," Durbe said simply, sitting down in another chair. "I have a class to get to at 8."

Rio sat down beside him immediately after.

If Sirius had been in his human form, he would have been forced to smother a grin. He already had a pretty good idea what the meeting was going to be about and their choice of seating did little to ruin it. "So, Okaasan," he began, "why did you call us?"

"Do we have to protect the universe again?" Antares asked.

"Well, it's about time!" Alit exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. "I've been wanting to kick some good Barian tail for ages now!"

"Would you just sit down?" Misael snapped.

Even Girag found himself agreeing.

"As much as I would enjoy the thought of having a danger to deal with," Aquarii said, "that is not the reason for this meeting."

"Then what's it about?" Vector asked.

Ryoga looked away.

Then Aquarii beamed. "Durbe-chan and Rio-chan are going to get married!"

Like an explosion, the Emperors caught themselves reeling back in surprise. Antares and Alit nearly fell out of their chairs.

Sirius could only chuckle.

Durbe, on the other hand...

"Okaasan," he snapped, "you did not have to refer to us as 'chan.'

"Not funny when it happens to you, now, is it, Durbe?" Sirius asked with a chuckle. "But seriously, it's about time you did it. I was beginning to think it would just be nothing more than a dream."

"A dream?"

Antares shot out from his seat. "Why, you-You knew that he popped the question," he said accusingly. "You saw it with those stupid Eyes of yours."

"That's not how they work, Antares. I prefer to call it intuition."

"You take too much from your father," Aquarii said with a giggle.

Sirius gave no argument.

"So, when's the big day?" Alit asked. "Did you guys make any plans yet?"

"We're working on that," Durbe answered.

"Aw, man," Alit whined.

"Just let it be soon," Girag said, raising a hand as if he were raising a mug of grog. "You made her wait plenty long already."

"You are not the first to tell me that," Durbe sighed, looking towards Sirius. "Nor are you the second or third."

Sirius had to think about that for a moment or two before turning to face Ryoga, who was sitting at the opposite end of the table.

The others followed suit not long after.

Then Ryoga raised a hand. "Don't go looking at me like that," he said. "Rio's a grown woman now. And Durbe's proven time and again that he can make Rio happy. Besides, it's kind of hard to forget about how he fought against Mallerus' influence because she was around."

Both Durbe and Rio were noticeably touched. Sirius just paused and stared at Ryoga.

"What?" the man exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said. "I'm just waiting for the punch line."

"There is no punch line, dog-boy. They told me about this whole stupid thing almost a week ago."

"So Ryoga 'Shark' Kamishiro has thrown away the shackles of adolescence and approved of not only their courtship, but of their marriage as well?" Antares asked.

He then produced a mallet and held it to Alit. "Hit me with this," he commanded. "That way, I know I'm not dreaming."

Alit stared for a moment, before shrugging and accepting the mallet.

Vector proceeded to take the mallet before Alit dealt Antares some major damage. "Thank you, Vector," Sirius said.

"Setting that weapon aside," went Lyra, looking to Durbe and Rio, "congratulations to the both of you."

"Thank you, Lyra-chan," Rio said.

"Now that one of my sons is preparing himself for that single moment," Aquarii began, her hand being pressed against her face, "I do wonder when my youngest will be ready. After all, Lyra-chan has waited just as long as Rio-chan."

Lyra was fortunate that her Barian form was a garnet red. It helped disguise the blush rising on her face.

"Okaasan," Sirius grumbled, "I thought we were talking about Durbe and Rio-san."

"We were," Aquarii admitted. "But you have to admit that you've made Lyra-chan wait too. And I've always thought she'd be a perfect daughter-in-law."

"A-Aquarii-san!" Lyra stammered. "Really, is that necessary?"

"Uh, yeah," Antares answered. "You're the only single girl in the Ranked Guardians now. E-chan's my wife, Rio-chan's gonna tie the knot with Durbe and we all know you and Sirius have the hots for each other."

"Antares, that's enough!" Sirius snapped, slamming his hand against the table.

Before long, the Emperors began to chime in.

Sirius did not know how the meeting managed to end before people had to get to work.

* * *

Not long after, the date for their marriage was set.

Finally, they were going to be entering the time of wedded bliss. Aquarii was right. They waited plenty long already.

* * *

"Sorry for the loss, Teach," said one of his students on day.

Durbe looked up from the tests he was handling. "What loss?" he asked.

"You don't know?" Iris exclaimed. "Someone proposed to Miss Kamishiro! She's going to get married!"

"We saw the ring, Mr. Stone," one of the boys said. "Sorry, but evidence doesn't lie."

Durbe paused, but then had to stop himself from laughing. For the most part, he found himself failing miserably. His shoulders were trembling, a fact his students obviously mistook to be sadness.

"Hate to say we didn't warn you, Teach," said one of the boys.

"But you really should have told her how you felt earlier, Mr. Stone," Iris said. "That might have been your ring on her finger."

Durbe then raised his head, revealing the laughter that was escaping him.

"He's so upset, he's gone mad," one of the students whispered.

"That's not it at all," Durbe said. "I know very well that she's getting married."

"You do?" Iris asked.

Durbe nodded. "I should. That's my engagement ring she's wearing."

The students' mouths all went agape.

Then Iris beamed. "It was a sign!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands happily.

"What was?"

"Those paintings! We told you that they were signs."

Durbe suddenly didn't want to take the conversation a sentence further. So he simply told his students to leave, unless they had detention or clubs to handle, as he had tests to grade.

They left without much argument.

* * *

Sirius watched as the preschool emptied for the day. Teachers were chasing after the little five year olds, bringing from Sirius a hint of a smile. Then Lyra appeared from behind the children, increasing his smile two fold. While she was keeping her class together, she was doing it without the slightest hint of exasperation.  
Well, she did say once that she loved her job. There was his proof.

"Imagining where your children will be going someday, Sirius?"

The white-haired man jumped from his place and looked to his left. Durbe had found him and didn't seem to be hesitant to prove it.

"No," Sirius said evasively. "Actually, I was wondering about where your children will be going. Try it sometime."

"I already have," Durbe said. "Several times. I'm going to be getting married soon. The thought of my life with children has crossed my mind since the moment she agreed."

Sirius chuckled.

"What about you?" Durbe continued. "Are you going to be asking Lyra soon?"

Sirius paused. "I don't know," he said, pushing himself away from his police car. "To be honest, I'm beginning to feel that I shouldn't."

Durbe stared. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't want her to get in trouble because of me," Sirius answered. "We may live in this world, Durbe, but we're still Guardians of Barian World. And out of all the Guardians, I seem to attract the most danger. Just look through my files if you don't believe me."

"Sirius, you're just being ridiculous," Durbe sighed. "Antares and Epsilon are married and they are both Guardians."

"Antares isn't nearly as prone for danger as I am. And I don't think I need to remind you about what I did to deserve the title of traitor. Besides," he lowered his head, his bangs shielding his eyes; "I still get nightmares about Xetarlos and his gang of goons."

"I thought you didn't get nightmares about those times," Durbe said.

"We all do, Durbe. Just ask Antares or Misael. Quite a few scars refuse to fade."

Durbe stared at his brother for a moment longer before releasing a sigh. Then he placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder and said, "Sirius, I was almost completely taken by Mallerus' Chaos Power. I was still able to overcome it and become a man Rio can marry. Just the same, you were able to win against your own darkness. Lyra will not be hurt with you by her side."

Sirius listened, but then let out a huff. "Where'd you pick that line up? Your college classes?"

"I'm being very serious."

"I know."

"Sirius-san? Durbe-san?"

Quickly, both men looked to the school.

Lyra had noticed them and was walking up to them, her hair hitting her shoulders as she advanced forward. Her smile was as obvious on her face as her red hair. "What are you two doing here?"

Durbe was ready to speak of what he and his brother had been discussing, but Sirius revealed a light smile and answered quickly, "I came to pick you up after work. You know I do that."

Lyra giggled. "Well, that is most true indeed," she relented.

Sirius smiled lightly at Lyra.

Then the radio in Sirius' police car sprung to life and before he knew it, Sirius had to go and answer it.

That left Durbe alone with Lyra for a moment or two.

"So what were you two talking about before I came up?" Lyra asked, her smile still strong.

Durbe had to think about it for a few seconds.

He couldn't just let Sirius beat himself up like that for the rest of his days. Keeping Lyra at arm's distance was only going to hurt them both. He knew that very well.

So he spoke with pure honesty. "Sirius is still scarred from the war."

Lyra paused. Then she looked to her hands. "That's what I was afraid of," she said.

"You knew?"

"I've known Sirius-san since we were children. I've learned to recognize the signs. And one of them is when he stares at his hands when he thinks he's alone."

"Has he told you about his nightmares?"

Lyra shook her head. It was clear that he had not.

Durbe sighed. "I feared that." He looked to Lyra. "Lyra-san, I think it would be best for him if you talked to him."

"What would you suggest that I say?" Lyra asked. "'Oh, Sirius-san, would you mind telling me about the nightmares you've bottled up for the past five years? Your brother spilled the beans and you know how I can't just leave things be.'"

Durbe blinked. He was going to have to remind Sirius to tone down the mimicking. Lyra had picked up on it a little too perfectly. Thankfully, she couldn't get his voice down, but she certainly nailed somebody's attitude. Maybe Epsilon's? Nah. Too polite.

"I do not know how it should be worded, but you have that gift that allows you to help him open up. And that gift is surely needed now. He deserves to be happy, Lyra-san, just as Rio and I are going to be. You both deserve that happiness."

Lyra could feel her face warming at Durbe's words. "Thank you...Durbe-san." She brought forth a very bright smile. "I'm so happy for you and Rio-san."

Durbe smiled as well. "Thank you."

"Thanks for waiting, you two," Sirius said, stepping away from his car. "It was just a false alarm." Once he noticed the smiles on their faces, he blinked. "Am I missing something here?"

Lyra quickly shook her head. "Nope," was her immediate answer.

"I'll see the two of you later then," Durbe said, walking away from them both. "I have work to do."

"And they call me the workaholic," Sirius mumbled.

Lyra chuckled, then wrapped her arms around Sirius' own.

* * *

"I always had a hunch that this day would come for you and Durbe," Epsilon said, working on her knitting as she sat on the couch. With a child on the way, knitting helped keep her stress down.

Rio looked from the baby clothes that she was folding and towards Epsilon. "How did you guess?" she asked.

"When Lyra came to babysit Haru that night," Epsilon explained, "I saw excitement written all over her face. To be perfectly honest, I half-expected Lyra to be in your place first."

Rio shrugged. "I guess I was just lucky."

"Perhaps." Epsilon set down her knitting and looked towards Rio. "But truly, I am happy for the two of you. With the Barians, I have found it to be all too rare for one of us to find the one we shall be with for the rest of our days."

"Not really," Rio chuckled. "With the Guardians, it's as if love is in the air."

"Not for all of them. Gilag and Alit, I fear, will be bachelors for life. And I cannot, for the life of me, imagine Sir Leonis settling down."

Rio chuckled at that. "Well, that's certainly true," she admitted. "Besides, he even told us once that he had no intention of marrying." She pursed her lips and stood straighter. "'I'm more content watching families grow than starting one of my own. Having a family means staying in one place and I am not a person who can do that without repercussions.'"

Epsilon revealed a light grin. "Most amusing," she said. "Fortunately, Antares never took the threat of matchmaking farther than his mouth. Sir Leonis would have had his head."

Rio nodded, then Epsilon went right back to her work. "Tell me, did you ever wonder if marriage was actually in your future?"

"Durbe and I talked about it often enough. I was just worried he'd never ask."

Epsilon gave a light chuckle, if it counted at such. "Are you worried?" she asked. "When Antares reminded me of his own proposal, I was the most nervous I had ever been in my single life."

"No," Rio answered truthfully. "Not in the slightest. I have every confidence that Durbe will be able to be a perfect husband and father to any children we might have."

The slightest smile played on Epsilon's face. "Then I can only wish the two of you luck," she said.

"Thank you."

Just then, Haru, who had woken up from his nap, walked into the living room, where the two women had been working, and rubbed his eyes. "Hi, Haru," Rio said with a smile. "Did you enjoy your nap?"

Haru nodded. "Hi, Auntie Rio." Then he walked over to his mother and made and attempt to hug her.

Epsilon gave a slight smile and hugged him back.

Rio beamed. She could see herself doing the same thing with her own children in later years.

She suddenly wished time could move a little faster. That way, she and Durbe could be wed sooner.

* * *

A little later that day, Sirius and Lyra found themselves in Lyra's favorite coffee shop. Lyra watched him as he took a sip of his coffee. Hardly twenty minutes in the shop and Lyra found another sign of his distress.

He was refusing to look her in the eye. He had disguised it carefully enough to prevent bystanders from noticing, but it wasn't fooling her. Not one of his lifelong partners in crime, stopping it or otherwise.

After he set his cup down, Lyra pounced, though she herself would prefer to call it 'polite conversation that wasn't so polite.'

"Sirius-san, why haven't you told me that you still get nightmares?"

Sirius paused, but showed no signs of surprise. "What are you talking about, Lyra?" he asked.

"Durbe-san. He said that you were still scarred from the war," Lyra explained.

Sirius' mask had cracked. Lyra could tell.

"Sirius-san, is that why you've been keeping your distance lately? Because you're still scarred?"

He failed to speak up. Instead, he lowered his face to prevent her from seeing his eyes.

Lyra let out a sigh and looked down to her coffee. "You can't punish yourself forever, Sirius-san," she said calmly. "We all understood what happened and why you did what you did."

"That doesn't automatically make it right," he said, refusing to look up to her.

Lyra bit her lip. "I don't care," she said. "You can't keep punishing yourself like this. If you want me to be safe, is this the way to go about it?"

Sirius' fingers twitched.

"You did this before, Sirius-san. Remember what happened? Everything happened just as you saw it. I got in trouble because you tried to push me away."

"I know," Sirius said. Lyra could see his hand shaking in his effort to keep a grip on his coffee. "But..."

Lyra paused. "Are you afraid of those nightmares, Sirius-san?"

Sirius' shaking hand suddenly froze.

Then Lyra leaned against the table, looking past Sirius' bangs and into his eyes. "I'm here, Sirius-san. And you once told me that nightmares no longer feel frightening when someone is there to help you through them. So please, Sirius-san, do me one favor. Don't try to walk alone again. There is not one among us can bear seeing that again. Not me. Not Antares-kun. Not Durbe-san. Not even Epsilon-san can watch that again."

Sirius paused, then let out a weak chuckle as his head fell into the heel of his hand. "You haven't changed at all," he finally said. "Even now, you know just how to get your point across."

Lyra smiled. "I've had a good teacher."

* * *

Time was a strange thing indeed.

One day, you wake up and it's your first day in kindergarten. Then you turn around, and you're graduating from high school.

That was how Durbe felt when he awoke and looked at the date on his calender.

His wedding day.

* * *

"So this is what it's like to help a guy become nervous before his wedding."

Durbe looked at Antares, who was not the least bit of afraid of hiding that fact that he was snickering. "And why are you in here again?" he asked him as he worked on his tie. His fumbling hands made it a most difficult task to accomplish.

"To make you nervous," Antares answered simply. "It's a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Besides, you two made me a wreck before I tied the knot with Epsilon, so we're even now."

"As much as I would be inclined to agree," Sirius said, entering the dressing room with the tuxedo jacket that Durbe was going to wear, "there are times for jokes and there are times for seriousness. This is the time for the latter."

Durbe was tempted to thank Sirius for backing him up, but then his brother grinned and said, "Just don't trip up on your way to the front and remember to say, 'I do.'"

That earned him a glare. "Exactly who's side are you on?" Durbe asked.

"Which side is winning?" was Sirius' reply.

"Mine," Antares said with a raised hand.

Durbe sighed as he pulled on his jacket. "How were you able to win Epsilon-san's heart again?"

"Ask her. Not me. I don't know either."

Another sigh.

Then Sirius noticed his brother's undone tie. "You're not planning on going up the aisle with your tie like that, are you?" he wondered aloud.

Durbe didn't answer that. Instead, he made another attempt to get it done, only to be met with failure once more.

"It's at this point I have to remember that you've never been good with bow ties," Sirius said.

"Well, the regular ties won't work with a tux," Antares clarified. "If he wore one of those, he'd look like a first-class fool."

"That's what we told you when you left your dressing room with a striped tie under a tuxedo jacket," Durbe said.

"And I'm repeating it for the sake of you and your brother. Come on. You guys don't want to be fools, do you?"

Neither answered. Durbe, because it felt foolish to answer; like he was about to fall into one of Antares' traps; Sirius, because he felt he already was a fool. His discussion with Lyra, though it had been a while back, still went through his head every day he awoke from a nightmare.

Then there was something Antares had once told him back when they were nothing more than a knight and a warrior.

"I'm not dying until you and Lyra tie the knot and name your first boy after me."

The image of Antares' face when he said that only made Sirius huff and look away.

* * *

Rio looked down at the cuffs of her gown. She could already see her hands shaking right below them. In an effort to make sure they weren't noticed, she clasped her hands together.

Unfortunately for her, they were still noticed.

"Nervous?" Epsilon asked, startling the young woman out of her wits.  
"H-Huh?" went Rio, looking to Epsilon.

The married Barian was sitting down in an available chair, a smile vaguely similar to what Antares would wear painting her face. "That's normal," she informed her. "When I was getting into a wedding gown, I was worse than you. I was fortunate enough to drum up the courage to walk down the aisle."

"How'd you do that?" Rio asked.

Lyra was more than a little curious herself.

"Very easy," Epsilon answered. "I remembered that Antares once told me that the thought of marrying me actually scared him."

Lyra blinked. "When was that?"

"Back in our past lives. He pursued me, but not as hard as he did years ago. Having a family curse instills fear in a man, and I can't say I blamed him one bit. It scared me too. But when I remembered that, I decided that if he was scared, I would simply be scared with him. As you can see, we have been most satisfied with the results."

Rio smiled.

Lyra nodded, her eyes on Epsilon's future child.

Then she released an inward sigh.

Was she ever going to be dressed in white with the laced veil? Would she ever experience the joy of caring for a tiny life like Epsilon had and Rio eventually would? Thoughts of marriage often brought up such questions in Lyra's mind. She still clung to hope, but she soon found herself wondering if those questions were going to be answered.

* * *

Butterflies filled Rio's stomach as everybody prepared for the wedding. Looking down the decorated aisle of light blue and gold; a single effort to see their guests; only made it worse. The thought of those people turning around to see her made her want to run. Was she ready? Of course, she loved Durbe and of course, she wanted to marry him. But was she ready? Would she be a good wife for him? If they had children, would she make a good mother? The organ hadn't started playing yet, and the resulting silence only made her questions of self-doubt louder in her head.

Then Durbe, who was standing at the front, casually looked down the aisle. It wasn't hard to fine Rio in the back.

A single look helped her decide.

It was clear that he was just as nervous as she was. His eyes were hidden behind his glasses, not to mention he was too far away to get a good picture, but she could tell that he was nervous.

Nervous, but there he was, Sirius standing right behind him.

That made sense. Durbe had requested that Sirius be best man just as Rio asked for Lyra.

_"__I decided that if he was scared, I would simply be scared with him."_

Amazing how Epsilon made sense when she wanted to.

Rio gulped, the butterflies slowly fading away.

She was ready. She had been waiting for that day all her lives. No way was she about to run like a child now.

Adjusting her grip on her bouquet, Rio waited for the organ to play. Once it did, her decision had been cemented.

No more waiting, she told herself.

They had waited far too long already.

* * *

When Rio took Durbe's hand, everything became more beautiful than she could ever remember. Durbe, likewise, knew deep down that this was the right choice. Perhaps the best choice he would ever make in his life. Any nerves or self-doubts he might have had were completely erased when he saw her smile beneath her veil.

Vows were exchanged along with their rings. Promises of love and faithfulness to each other were given easily, but not lightly. From him to her, he told her, "You are who I live for and who I fight for. And I shall continue to do so for the rest of my days."

When she was prepared, her vow was spoken. "You are my shield, but I will always be your readied sword. Even if the threat looms over you once again, I will forever remain at your side."

Following the vows came the rings.

Then the 'I do' that sealed the rest of their lives.

* * *

Come the end of the wedding, both the newlyweds as well as their guests proceeded to the reception. As they had invited Yuma to the wedding, it was unsurprising to see him stare at the cake for a while after his arrival. Had Kotori not pulled him away, he would have begun to drool all over the floor. Becoming a man and going pro did little to lessen his fondness for sweet things.

Well, at least they wouldn't have to worry about leftovers.

Music soon filled the reception hall and Durbe and Rio stepped onto the dance floor. With a hand on Rio's hip and another holding her palm, they began to step into the tune, flowing like water across the floor. Those who watched found themselves incapable of proper movement. The smiles on their faces were too precious to do anything less than watch.

"She looks so happy," Lyra finally breathed.

Sirius looked down to her. The smile that painted her mien was enough to make him take her hand. "Care to join me?" he asked. "I've had some practice."

"Yeah," Antares agreed. "On your own."

"You have the right to remain silent, Antares," Sirius sighed.

Lyra accepted his proposal with a nod. Then they both stepped onto the dance floor, light smiles painting their faces.

Misael only watched for a short time before he noticed a slight grin forming on Sirius' face. Along with a casual glance from Misael to Droite, prompting the Dragon Tamer to look to the young woman.

She had certainly picked a decent gown for the occasion. Why didn't he notice sooner? He brought her to the wedding, after all. You think he would have noticed.

Without a moment's hesitation, he slowly held his hand out to Droite, who looked slightly confused. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.

"Why do you ask?" Droite asked in reply.

Misael looked to Durbe, then back to Droite. "I owe it to him. That's all." When that didn't seem to bring forth much of a reaction, he looked away and continued with, "We'll just call it our wedding present to him, since we didn't get him anything."

That seemed to do that trick. Droite revealed a tiny smile before taking his hand.

Once he saw Misael and Droite take their turn, Haru was hopping on the balls of his feet. Seeing all those people dancing excited him. He thought that dancing was for kids.

Noticing his son's enjoyment, Antares looked to Epsilon. She was resting in a chair, watching as they all preformed their dance. "Hey, E," Antares began.  
Epsilon looked up.

Antares then nudged his head to the dance floor. "Want to join them?"

Epsilon scoffed. "Antares, you know I can't," she said. "I'm too tired."

Antares simply laughed, then took his wife's hand. "Come on," he said. "Haru wants to try. Besides, you can consider this exercise."

Epsilon stared, then scoffed. "Alright," she finally relented, taking hold of his hand so she could stand up. "But not for very long."

"I understand, Mrs. Kreiger," Antares said with a chuckle.

As they stepped onto the dance floor, Epsilon's fingers grasping at Antares' navy blue dress shirt in her effort to stay straight, Haru followed after them, taking their hands so he could dance with them. The smile on his face was enough to brighten Epsilon's day.

With a light smirk, Antares lifted his son up and threw him into the air.

The sudden sensation of butterflies in his tummy made Haru laugh. All looked to the sounds, Sirius and Lyra included.

Then Lyra smiled.

"Isn't that sweet?" she asked.

Sirius had to nod. Then he looked back to Lyra, everything she once told him coming back to him all at once. Gritting his teeth in self-frustration, he wrapped Lyra in his embrace, leaving the poor woman flustered. "S-Sirius-san!" she exclaimed, uncertain of what she was to do.

"Wait for me," Sirius whispered into her ear.

Lyra froze.

"I promise I won't have you wait too long. But in the meantime, just wait for me."

Lyra slowly pulled herself away, allowing her to look Sirius in the eye. After realizing that he was indeed saying what she hoped he was saying, she revealed a smile. "I will," she said. "I'll wait as long as you need me to, Sirius-san."

Sirius smiled a bit before he wrapped her in a hug. "Thank you."

Durbe only looked for a minute before returning his gaze to Rio.

Looks like Sirius had finally become a man worthy of Lyra.

Good for him.

* * *

The crystal music in the reception hall soon ended and those who were dancing soon left the floor. Epsilon was more than eager to sit down again, as she and Antares had danced longer than she would have preferred. A few minutes later, both Durbe and Rio were reminded that the cake needed to be cut.

All Sirius could say was, "Don't let Yuma fall in it."

Needless to say, the Guardians in the room stifled laughter while others who understood where he was coming from found themselves doubling over.

Durbe and Rio didn't. So they opted to ignore it altogether and cut the cake before either Yuma or Alit tripped up.

It was done in hardly a few minutes before everybody was allowed to – as we humans say it – 'dig in.'

Meanwhile, in the back of the reception hall, Altair and Aquarii, both dressed in variations of blue, watched Durbe and Rio with bright smiles on their faces. "I feared that this would never come to be," Altair said.

"I'm only grateful he finally had the chance," Aquarii responded. "He deserved it."

Altair raised his drink. "I wish them luck," he said. "Looking at them like that," he paused a bit; "makes me feel nostalgic."

"You too, huh?"

Altair smiled.

"Indeed."

And it was true. They did feel nostalgic. The smiles on their faces reminded Altair and Aquarii of their own wedding day.

As well as the circumstances surrounding their first meeting.

Just then, Durbe handed Antares a piece of the cake, though his gaze had been directed to his brother.

It took Antares not five seconds to realize what he wanted to be done.

Without missing a beat, Antares walked over to Sirius, cake in hand. "Hey, buddy," he said. "Aren't you gonna eat some cake?"

"You know I can't stomach that stuff," Sirius sighed, holding up a plate of cut up fruits. "So you can do what you want with the piece that Durbe gave you."

Antares chuckled. "I'm so glad you said that."

Seconds later, the cake was smashed into Sirius' face, prompting everybody to start laughing. Yes, this included Lyra.

As some of it got into his mouth, Sirius found himself gagging, all the while making an effort to clean the cake bits off of his lapel. "Were you trying to kill me!?" he snapped. "You know I can't stand sweets!"

Durbe chuckled beside Rio. "You'll understand when you get married," he told him.

Antares nodded and threw the paper plate in the garbage. "Yeah. You'll understand then."

Sirius didn't respond to that one. He only continued his effort to clean his jacket.

* * *

The reception was at last nearing its end. For a moment or two, Rio had completely forgotten about the bouquet in her hands. She had it with her while she was dancing and set it aside when they cut the cake. Now that it was approaching the time for all to leave, she remembered it.

With a bright smile, she turned around and threw the bouquet high into the air. Various petals freed themselves from the flowers, but there were still many intact as it came falling to the female attendees.

Once she heard someone catch it, she turned around.

Lyra.  
"You know, they say the one who catches the bouquet is the next to get married," Durbe said to his brother.

Sirius simply turned away, his tuxedo jacket resting in the crook of his arm.

He didn't blush at what Durbe was implying.

He already had a feeling that she would be next.

After all, when he tells someone to wait, he makes himself a promise that they will not wait very long.

The same was going to apply for Lyra.

In an effort to get away from the subject, Sirius revealed a small gift from inside his jacket pocket. "Here," he said. "Happy wedding day."

Both Durbe and Rio looked at it curiously, then Rio took it from her new brother-in-law. Removing the yellow ribbon was easy enough. Within seconds, she reached the baby blue wrapping paper.

A white box was hidden within. Upon removing the lid, she found a small knight toy made of wood and leather a breath of awe, she pulled the toy out from the box and examined it. Both its smile and its nose had been painted on, the eyes having been carved in and colored with great care. Its armor was of an argent color and it surprised Rio to see that it had all been carved by hand. "Did you make that?" Durbe asked.

"Believe it or not, it's cheaper to make one than it is to by one," Sirius said.

Durbe smiled slightly. "Thank you, Sirius."

Sirius returned the smile. "Just don't make me an uncle to another Ryoga and I'll consider us even," he said, jerking a thumb at the man in question, who had been sitting at one of the tables the whole time.

"You should be grateful he didn't hear that," Rio thought, laughing as she examined Sirius' masterpiece further.

If they were blessed with a boy, he was going to love that.

She guaranteed it.

* * *

**D.T.B: How many people wanted this? Come on. I know there were a few of you. Come on...FOUND YA! XD**


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